After the Skyfall

Uncle Biao’s meditation hall was located in an old office building in the Old District.

This building housed at least seven or eight similar meditation centers—a reflection of how popular cultivation had become in recent years.

Even though true cultivation had a high barrier to entry, it hadn’t stopped eager parents from pushing their children toward it. After all, everyone dreamed their kid might be a once-in-a-generation talent—someone who could step into the world of cultivators and become a figure of admiration.

And wherever there was demand, a market was bound to emerge.

In today’s world, meditation halls were everywhere.

If you had a decent understanding of cultivation principles—or even if you had just barely stepped into the practice—you could open a meditation studio and teach students for money.

Some people even went freelance, offering private tutoring.

The rise of cultivation had brought with it an unexpected wave of new professions—and all of them were quite profitable.

Uncle Biao, however, wasn’t great at business.

His meditation hall had always been half-dead, barely making ends meet.

Yet today…

When Li Yi arrived, he was shocked to see the place packed with students.

The hall was full, buzzing with activity. Business was booming.

What’s going on?

Curious, Li Yi approached and immediately heard a lecture coming from inside.

But the voice wasn’t Uncle Biao’s.

It was a woman’s voice.

“Before you can formally step onto the path of cultivation, you must first understand what cultivation truly is,” the woman lectured. Her tone was both serious and authoritative.

“What are the fundamental principles behind cultivation?

Ten years ago, people used to joke online, calling our world a ‘Post-Dharma Era’ or claiming that the heavens had sealed themselves off. Back then, you couldn’t find a single cultivator in the entire world.

Nations had no choice but to focus on developing technology instead.

But now, cultivation has become commonplace.

A student quickly raised their hand.

“Teacher Lin, I know this one! It was because of the Skyfall Event—that’s when spiritual energy revived in our world!”

The young female instructor, Teacher Lin, responded in a calm yet stern tone:

“Spiritual energy revival? That’s just a meme people made up.

While it’s an oversimplified explanation, it doesn’t address the real cause.

Do you even understand what ‘spiritual energy revival’ actually means?”

The student hesitated, their confidence faltering.

“Uh… I guess I don’t really know…”

Teacher Lin continued:

“Before we talk about ‘spiritual energy revival,’ we need to first understand the world we live in—and even the solar system we exist within.

As you all know, our planet orbits the Sun, which results in seasonal changes and the alternation of day and night.

But from another perspective—

It’s actually the Sun itself that is dragging our planet through space at a staggering speed of 790,000 km/h as it moves through the universe.”

“The universe is not a uniform void.

It contains regions of energy—but not all areas of the universe have energy in equal measure.

If the Sun pulls our planet into a region of low energy, we are deprived of cosmic nourishment.

This is what happened during the so-called ‘Post-Dharma Era’—a time when our world lacked cosmic energy, making cultivation impossible.

However—

When the Sun carries our planet into a region rich in cosmic energy, every living being on Earth absorbs this energy, transforming the world as we know it.

This—

Is what you all call ‘spiritual energy revival.’”

“Spiritual energy… is nothing more than a form of cosmic energy.”

Li Yi stood outside the meditation hall, listening to the lecture with a deepening curiosity.

He had always assumed the Skyfall Event had been some mysterious phenomenon that revived the world’s energy.

But this explanation—

It made sense in a way he hadn’t considered before.

“Ten years ago, during the Skyfall Event, our world officially transitioned from an energy-deprived region into a vast cosmic energy field. That shift triggered a series of mutations.”

Teacher Lin’s voice remained steady, yet every word carried profound weight.

“My mentor once said—
In the presence of massive cosmic energy fields, space itself distorts.
Wormholes can open.
Distant planets—separated by countless light-years—can experience brief contact.
And sometimes, when these wormholes stabilize…
They reveal the existence of parallel worlds.”

A murmur spread through the audience.

Even Li Yi, who was standing outside the meditation hall, felt his heart tremble at these revelations.

“Many of the extraordinary events occurring today—
Ghosts, supernatural artifacts, even the emergence of extraordinary life forms—
They aren’t from our world.

They’re intrusions—creatures, objects, and phenomena spilling in from parallel realities into our own.

The reason we struggle to comprehend or contain these anomalies isn’t because they defy logic—

It’s because our world’s understanding of cultivation is still in its infancy.

For all we know, some parallel worlds may have had thousands of years to master the art of cultivation, while we are only just beginning.”**

Teacher Lin paused for a moment, allowing the weight of her words to settle.

Then, her tone shifted abruptly—from deep wisdom to sharp marketing instinct.

“That’s why you must not lose confidence!

I firmly believe that most of you possess immense potential for cultivation—

You’re just waiting for the right opportunity!

And that opportunity…

Is right here, at Uncle Biao’s Meditation Hall!”**

“For today only—membership is on sale!

Not 28,000 credits!
Not even 18,000 credits!
For a limited time, you can enroll for just 9,800 credits!

And for the first ten students who sign up today—

You’ll receive a free private lesson with me, Teacher Lin!”**

Li Yi: …Damn, that switch was fast.

For a moment, he had been completely immersed in her lecture.

Now, she was suddenly hustling memberships like a seasoned businesswoman.

‘Still… she really knows her stuff.’

Li Yi had always been curious about cultivation but never had the opportunity to learn much about it.

If he had the money, he would’ve signed up without hesitation.

Unfortunately…

He was broke.

Inside, students were already stepping forward, eager to hand over their payments.

Li Yi sighed. Maybe one day…

“Heh, heh, heh…”

A familiar chuckling sound suddenly echoed behind him.

Li Yi turned to see a middle-aged man, almost forty years old, with an average appearance, a receding hairline, but eyes that sparkled with lively energy.

“I knew it! I just knew these people would be throwing their money at us! Dragging my niece here to teach was the best decision I’ve made!”

The man clapped his hands together, grinning ear to ear.

Then, he turned to Li Yi with an exaggerated flourish.

“Li Yi! What brings you to your dear uncle’s meditation hall today? Something troubling you at home? Listen, kid—don’t worry! Your uncle just made a fortune today! If you need help, just say the word! I’ve got your back.”

Uncle Biao patted his chest dramatically, looking pleased with himself.

Li Yi smiled faintly.

“No, no trouble at home. I just recently became curious about cultivation, so I wanted to come by and ask you a few things, Uncle Biao.”

Li Yi chose his words carefully.

He had always been grateful for Uncle Biao’s kindness—

But he didn’t want to burden others with his problems.

People could help once, maybe twice—

But how many times could he ask before it became too much?

At the end of the day…

He had to rely on himself.

Uncle Biao patted Li Yi’s shoulder reassuringly.

“It’s good if you’re doing fine. Ever since your father became a Dormant One, I’ve worried about you the most. If you ever face any trouble, don’t hesitate to tell me. Your dad and I… we were brothers who trusted each other with our lives.”

“If he ever wakes up and finds out that I didn’t take care of you— I swear he’d bash my skull in! Hahaha!”

Li Yi smiled faintly but said nothing.

He could tell Uncle Biao was being sincere.

“So, you’re interested in cultivation now? That’s great!”

“I’ve told you before—your father was a true cultivation prodigy. Chances are, you’ve inherited his talent. If you step onto the path of cultivation, you’ll definitely achieve something great. But in the past, every time I brought it up, you always refused, saying you had to take care of your family.”

“I get it—cultivation takes time. And with you being the only one left to provide for your family, you can’t afford to spend years training when you need money for Nutrient Fluid.”

Uncle Biao paused, thinking for a moment before he continued.

“But listen—my own teaching ability is pretty limited. I wouldn’t dare mislead you. That’s why I’ll have my niece train you instead— She’s far better than I am!”

“You heard her lecture earlier, right? She knows her stuff. Most of what she teaches is way over my head.”

Li Yi hesitated.

“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?”

He wasn’t used to receiving help from others.

Uncle Biao laughed and waved him off.

“Trouble? Nonsense! You can come by and listen to lessons anytime— It’s free for you.”

Then, he grinned, clapped Li Yi on the shoulder again, and added, “Wait here a sec.”

With that, he disappeared into the meditation hall.

Watching him go, Li Yi felt a warm sense of gratitude.

His father’s friend was truly dependable.

A few moments later, the meditation hall’s doors swung open again.

A short-haired, sharp-eyed young woman stepped out.

She carried herself with confidence and ease, her attire clean and practical—designed for movement rather than fashion.

Her gaze swept over Li Yi before she smiled and extended her hand.

“Li Yi, right?”

“I’m Lin Yue. You probably don’t remember me, but when we were kids, we used to play together. Uncle Biao often took me to your house as a guest.”

“Before your father became a Dormant One, he even guided me in my cultivation. Later, I left Tianchang City for advanced training, which is why we lost touch. But don’t worry— If you’re serious about cultivating, I’ll do my best to help you.”

Li Yi blinked, startled.

Now that she mentioned it, he did recall a childhood memory—

A girl a few years older than him, often tagging along with Uncle Biao.

But as they both grew up; the memories had blurred.

“…Thank you, Lin Yue.”

Lin Yue laughed softly.

“Don’t be so formal! I’m older than you—just call me Lin Jie (‘Sister Lin’). Come on, let’s go to my office. This isn’t the best place to talk.”

Without another word, Li Yi followed her inside.

Inside the Office

Lin Yue motioned for Li Yi to sit while she poured him a cup of green tea.

Her movements were swift and practiced, showing the efficiency of someone who rarely wasted time.

Once she sat down, she fixed him with a direct gaze.

“Alright, Li Yi—let’s not beat around the bush. I prefer to get straight to the point. So, tell me—How much do you actually know about cultivation?”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “I don’t know much. I’ve never really looked into it, just heard some things from relatives and online.”

“So, you’re a complete beginner?” Lin Yue asked, thinking for a moment.

Li Yi said, “If it’s too much trouble, I can do some research on my own first and sit in on a few classes.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Don’t overthink it,” Lin Yue said. “I was just considering where to start. Since you’re new, I can’t just jump into teaching you how to cultivate—you need some basic theory first.” She paused, then added, “How about this? I’ll explain, and you ask questions if anything isn’t clear. That’ll make it easier.”

“Alright,” Li Yi nodded.

Lin Yue took a sip of tea and said, “Cultivation is actually simple—it’s about absorbing cosmic energy to evolve and transform your body. In ancient times, people called it ‘immortal cultivation.’ The so-called cosmic energy is basically the ‘spiritual energy’ or ‘immortal energy’ you read about in novels.”

“Lin Jie, isn’t our world polluted? I heard that cultivating the wrong way can drive people insane… or even kill them,” Li Yi asked.

“That’s true,” Lin Yue nodded. “The cosmic energy in our world is contaminated. If someone without proper knowledge tries to cultivate, they’ll end up in serious trouble. But six years ago, things changed. Since then, we’ve discovered two ways to cultivate safely—though neither is perfect.”

“I’ll start with the first method.”

“There are countless tiny wormholes around us, too small to see. When cosmic energy fields are strong enough, they can distort these wormholes—or even open them briefly. When that happens, cosmic energy from the other side seeps into our world.”

“If you can channel that energy into your body before it gets contaminated, you can trigger cellular evolution and begin cultivation.”

“This method is the safest and most widely used, but it has a big drawback—it’s extremely slow.”

“The energy that leaks from wormholes is weak and unpredictable. Cultivating this way takes a huge amount of time and effort. Plus, absorbing cosmic energy isn’t guaranteed to work every time—sometimes it fails completely.”

Lin Yue sighed, a little frustrated. “If that were the only problem, it’d still be manageable. With enough patience, you’d eventually make progress. But the worst part is, it’s all luck. Sometimes you sit in a cultivation chamber for days, and not a single trace of cosmic energy appears. I’ve had times when I spent three days straight in meditation and got absolutely nothing.”

“Of course, there are times when you get lucky—when a wormhole releases a large burst of cosmic energy. But it feels like a shipwrecked man stranded at sea suddenly caught in a downpour. There’s fresh water falling everywhere, but all you can do is open your mouth and catch a few drops to wet your throat.”

“It’s maddening. But I need to warn you—no matter how ‘thirsty’ your body feels while cultivating, never absorb the polluted cosmic energy of our world. And don’t think, ‘Just a little won’t hurt.’”

“A shipwrecked survivor would rather die of thirst than drink seawater—because the more they drink, the faster they die.”

Lin Yue’s expression turned serious as she stared at Li Yi, emphasizing the importance of her warning.

“I understand,” Li Yi nodded solemnly.

Lin Yue suddenly chuckled. “Relax. You don’t even know how to cultivate yet—this isn’t something you need to worry about right now.”

Li Yi scratched his head. “You’re right. But what’s the second cultivation method?”

Lin Yue’s smile faded. She raised a slender finger and said, “The second method is simple—owning a ‘strange artifact.’”

“Strange artifacts generate their own energy field, which can purify the surrounding area and prevent cultivators from mutating due to contaminated energy. It’s like a shipwrecked survivor having a water purifier instead of relying on rain.”

“The difference between those who have strange artifacts and those who don’t is enormous.”

Li Yi’s heart pounded with excitement. If the half-broken coin in his pocket was a strange artifact, wouldn’t his cultivation speed skyrocket?

“But don’t get any ideas,” Lin Yue said flatly. “Strange artifacts are extremely rare, and private ownership is forbidden. Even if someone gets lucky and finds one, the government will seize it as soon as it’s discovered.”

“I’ve heard of incomplete strange artifacts—what exactly are they?” Li Yi asked.

Lin Yue explained, “An incomplete strange artifact is a damaged or fragmented artifact. The government doesn’t confiscate them like they do complete ones because their value is greatly reduced. Even so, the market price for these artifacts keeps rising, and they’re still far out of reach for ordinary people.”

“Can incomplete strange artifacts still purify energy pollution?” Li Yi was curious.

Lin Yue frowned. “I’m not sure. I don’t know much about strange artifacts. But since they’re incomplete, they must have flaws. What those flaws are, only the people who own them truly know—and they won’t go around sharing that information.”

“Then how do you determine if something is a strange artifact?” Li Yi finally asked the key question.

He didn’t want to ask right away, as it would be too obvious and might raise suspicion. So he saved it for last.

Lin Yue chuckled. “You haven’t even started cultivating, and you’re already thinking about strange artifacts?”

Li Yi scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. “Just asking. If I ever stumble upon one and don’t recognize it, that’d be a huge loss.”

“In that case, I’ll answer your question,” Lin Yue said. “It’s hard for ordinary people to identify strange artifacts. They can look like anything—a stone, a feather, an object, even a severed hand or a corpse. But there’s one reliable method: cultivating near it.”

“When you enter a cultivation state, you can sense the surrounding cosmic energy. Since strange artifacts generate their own energy field, you’ll immediately notice the difference.”

“Also, once a cultivator reaches a certain level, their eyes can perceive things normal people can’t. They can even sense energy fields directly. At that point, identifying strange artifacts becomes easy.”

“I see.”

Li Yi’s eyes flickered with thought.

It seemed the only way to determine if his half-broken coin was a strange artifact was to start cultivating.

“Lin Yue, I want to cultivate. Can you teach me?” he asked earnestly.

“Of course. But as the saying goes, ‘A master can show the way, but the journey is yours to walk.’ I can only guide you through the first steps. How far you go depends entirely on you. Don’t get your hopes up too high—I’ve taught many students, and most of them spent years cultivating without making any progress.”

“Cultivation talent is crucial. You’ll understand what that means once you take your first step.”

Lin Yue took a sip of tea and continued, “I don’t like wasting time. You don’t need any special preparation—let’s start right now.”

“Alright,” Li Yi nodded firmly.